Energy delivery devices (e.g., antennas, probes, electrodes, etc) (e.g., microwave ablation devices) (e.g., radiofrequency ablation devices) are used to deliver energy to a desired tissue region for purposes of “treating” a desired tissue region. Ablation therapy (e.g., microwave ablation, radiofrequency ablation) is a widely used, minimally invasive technique for the treatment of various conditions and/or disorders (e.g., tumor cells). Within such techniques, ablation energy (e.g., microwave energy) (e.g., radiofrequency energy) is used to heat a desired tissue region to a desired temperature to cause tissue destruction in the heated region.
The success of an ablation procedure is generally dependent upon maximizing the amount of desired tissue ablation and minimizing the amount of undesired tissue ablation. Such success is dependent upon the precise and accurate identification of a targeted tissue region, positioning of the energy delivery device at such an identified targeted tissue region, and delivery of such energy to the identified tissue region.
Improved techniques for accurately and precisely identifying a targeted tissue region targeted for an ablation procedure are needed.
The present invention addresses this need.